What to Do When Your Instagram Account Is Hacked

If your Instagram account was hacked, it’s essential to act fast to recover it and keep yourself secure.

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Below you’ll find a detailed step by step guide to help you take the right measures and avoid problems in the future.

Reset Your Password Right Away

The first thing you should do when you notice your account has been compromised is try to reset the password. This can help you regain control of your profile before the hacker makes more serious changes.

Steps to reset the password:

Open the Instagram app and, on the login screen, tap “Forgot password?”
Enter the email, phone number, or username linked to the account.
You’ll receive a link by email or SMS to reset your password.
Choose a new password that’s secure and strong, combining uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.

If you still have access to your email or phone number, this may be the fastest way to recover your account. Make sure the new password is completely different from the old one.

Review Recent Activity and Log Out of Suspicious Devices

After resetting your password, it’s important to review the recent activity on your account and log out of any device you don’t recognize. This stops the hacker from continuing to access your profile.

Steps to review recent activity:

Go to your profile and tap the three lines in the top right corner.
Select “Settings,” then “Security.”
Under “Login activity,” you’ll see a list of devices and locations where your account is connected.
If you spot a suspicious device, tap “Log out” next to it.

This step is essential to make sure that, even if the hacker still has your old password, they stay disconnected from your account.

Revert Email or Phone Number Changes

If the hacker managed to change the email or phone number on your account, Instagram will send a notification to the original email with the option to revert those changes.

Steps to revert the changes:

Check the inbox of the original email linked to the account.
Look for an email from Instagram with the subject “Your email address was changed” or similar.
Inside that email you’ll find a link to revert the change the hacker made.
Click the link and follow the instructions to restore your original information.

Acting fast in this step is essential, since it stops the hacker from taking full control of the account.

Use Instagram’s Account Recovery Tools

If you couldn’t recover your account with the previous methods, Instagram offers a recovery option through support. This tool is useful when the hacker changed all your contact information.

Steps to use the recovery tool:

Go to Instagram’s login screen and tap “Need more help?”
Enter the email, username, or phone number linked to your account.
Follow Instagram’s instructions to provide additional information confirming that you’re the account owner.
In some cases, Instagram may ask you to send a selfie holding a code sent to your email.

This process can take some time, but it’s an effective way to prove you’re the true owner of the account and recover access.

Revoke Access from Third Party Apps

One of the reasons accounts get hacked is the use of unsafe third party apps. These apps often request invasive permissions and can compromise your account’s security.

Steps to revoke access:

Open your profile settings on Instagram.
Go to “Security” and select “Apps and websites.”
Under the “Active” section, you’ll see a list of all the apps with access to your account.
Remove access from any app you don’t recognize or that isn’t essential.

Revoking access from suspicious apps can prevent future intrusions and protect your personal information.

Turn On Two Factor Authentication

To protect your account against future attacks, turning on two factor authentication (2FA) is widely recommended. With this feature, in addition to entering your password, you’ll need a verification code sent to your phone every time you log in from a new device.

Steps to turn on two factor authentication:

Open your Instagram settings and go to “Security.”
Select “Two factor authentication.”
Choose whether you’d rather get the code by SMS or through an authentication app, like Google Authenticator.
Follow the instructions to complete the setup.

This step adds an extra layer of security, making it much harder for hackers to access your account even if they know your password.

Create a Secure and Strong Password

One of the simplest ways to protect your account is to create a strong, unique password. Avoid using passwords that are easy to guess, like birth dates or family names. Combine uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.

Tips for creating a secure password:

Avoid common words or sequences like “123456” or “password.”
Use at least 12 characters.
Create passwords that have no connection to your personal information, like birthdays.
Never reuse the same password across several accounts.

Changing your password periodically is also a good practice for keeping your account protected.

Contact Instagram Support

If all the previous attempts failed and you still can’t recover your account, contact Instagram support directly. The platform offers assistance for issues related to intrusions and can help you restore access.

Steps to contact support:

Open Instagram’s help center directly from the app or from the official website.
Fill out the account recovery form, providing all the details you can about the problem.
Follow the instructions sent by support to complete the process.

Instagram support may take a little while to respond, but it has tools to verify your identity and help you recover your account.

Protect Yourself Against Future Attacks

Once you recover your account, it’s essential to adopt preventive measures to avoid getting hacked again. Besides turning on two factor authentication and creating a strong password, be careful when using third party apps and clicking suspicious links.

Tips to protect yourself against future attacks:

Avoid giving your credentials to any app or site that isn’t officially Instagram’s.
Be wary of emails or messages that ask for login information.
Don’t click unknown links sent through direct messages or emails that look suspicious.

Keeping your account secure is an ongoing effort, and following these tips will help you protect your information and avoid future intrusions.